Bye bye railway station

Tanjong Pagar railway station closes today. So have you go there for the last time? Although I do not go there, I am glad that I did in my lifetime been there, took a train before. Was at JB during my teen days and coming back to SG by train. It was the 90s. I do not remember much except I got impressed by a giant spring thingy at the end of the track, possibly to repel any trains that fail to stop at the end of the line. Losing the railway station mean there won't be anymore trains cutting through heartland. The youngster will not have a chance to see trains. They will only get to see one if they go travel to Malaysia. Guess the nearest substitute would be the MRT trains.

Sunflower to clean radioactive soil??

Japanese are now trying to get people to grow Sunflowers on the radioactive soils at the Earthquake area. How did they get the idea that Sunflower will help to decontaminate the soil? I tried to look for the info on Wikipedia but nothing was mention about this. Is this just another myth to give people false hope or someone found something that even internet doesn't know? Seriously wouldn't the plants, including Sunflowers dies on a radioactive land? Right now they should concentrate on decommission that nuclear station. Looks like those Japs are still trying to save their money by trying to save the nuclear station.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/sunflowers-clean-radioactive-soil-japan-114840850.html

Salvation Army still leave their stuffs unguarded

The Salvation Army is in the news again. Being known to everyone as the group that collect old usable stuffs from people who do not need them and these stuffs will go to needy people. Now here in the news, it manage to capture people going to the donation area and take stuffs. Some people even came as organised group. So why doesn't Salvation Army wise up their ideas? They have been in the news before about leaving their stuffs unguarded. They mentioned that they do not want to spend unneccessary money to put in securities. They should increase the timing for collection. Clear everything. It have been shown all the items laying around like a rubbish dump. While people continue to give away their things how long will they do so if thiefs keep going there to take away things.

Death in comics again? Give it a break!

Ultimate Spiderman to be dead in the comics. To non readers, this ultimate name means it is an alternate universe where the Spiderman we all know is not affected. They are different people in different worlds. However to comics readers, especially to those non-ultimate or even non-Marvel readers, it is a confusion. Also to top it up, the "death" tactic is being used again. Everyone knows death is never permanent in comics. Comics writers had done it on the big names, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Captain America, Punisher..... Even minor characters died multiple times throughout years that I have lost interest in wanting to know how they got back being alive. The writer here says that any death in Ultimate universe is permanent. So far, the most permanent death for a character is Uncle Ben. The other longest death I have seen would be Barry Allen, the flash who died during the Crisis issues. He does made occasional cameo, which doesn't count since he remains dead in the main universe. After some twenty years he is back! I am sure Wally West is doing fine as the Flash and I am also happy to see Barry back as the Flash but the point here is likely to be sales. Barry's rebirth sure increase sales. So how long will Ultimate spiderman remains as dead just does not seem to matter. People just kind of feel they have lost the creativity in making stories other than to kill off characters regardless of universe. Death in superheroes comics are overused!

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/peter-parker-no-more-ultimate-spider-man-072347564.html

Creative barcodes

Barcodes are those dull looking lump of lines with a row of numbers. It is actually for the computer database that contains all the informations on that item. If it is a book, the library will use it to retrieve records of the book. If it is other items, places like a supermarket will retrieve the price info for the item. Now some people intend to change how the squarish looking barcode to something creative. As shown, most of the barcodes still include the numbers at the bottom, in cases like the scanner unable to read the barcode, the human operator will input the numbers into the computer which will translate into the barcode. From the website, the first design is a mess. While it looks interesting, the numbers are jumble. If creativity should happen, the first design should be out. Feel free to design but do not make it complicated to the human eye. You never know when a scanner decide to play tantrum and stop reading a barcode that you have to manually input but the barcode is messy looking.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112992/barcodes-as-art-wsj

Do not leave your kids alone

Leaving their children alone at home is a big NO. It isn't just a local problem. It is global, especially in those high rise buildings. When the child was left alone, usually during their nap time, they woke up alone. They would then want to look for their mummy or the adult person in the house. Unable to find anyone in the house they then goes to the window, and usually it wasn't locked. That is when accident happens. It is lucky for this kid, for this family. The kid got stuck at the aircon mounted at the wall. Also some brave residents among the community group together to save the kid. This shows that there are still good people in China, after all those negative news happening there.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/dramatic-rescue-of-boy-trapped-behind-air-conditioning-unit-.html

Comic heroes movies should have more actions!

Just watched Green Lantern movie today. It was another super hero movie, except that this one is one that I like most. It is my favorite comic character. The usual movie nonsense will be there, such as, altered origins. For this, it got most correct, or as similar to the comic origin as it could. Unlike all ther other heroes movies, this have more equal action as the others. Example, when do you see Superman fight another villain that is a super villain? He have been fight Lex Luthor all the time. Luthor, while being the greates Superman villain is becoming boring when he can't fight Superman head on. If you ever read any of Superman's comic, he got enough super villains to show him some punch moves. At least Green Lantern gets to have a good fight with Hector Hammond. It was a good start. Perhaps the sequel Sinestro will square off with him. They could have the sub villains for sub plots such as Black Hand or maybe Major Disaster. With all the CGIs being capable now these villains could be worthy for the movie screen. I hope the next Superman movie at least he gets to punch Metallo or better yet, Mongol or even Doomsday or Ultraman. These should gives you the best action ever if the story cannot make it. As for Batman, enough of Joker or Penguin or Riddler. Batman maybe a detective but the audiences want action. As usual his collection of villains include many capable of putting up a fight. Bane, Deadshot, KGBeast and even Prometheus. Right now, all eyes on Marvel comic's Captain America. His origin and the usual villain, the Red Skull. As long as it does not stray off the comic, people should be able to accept it. The WWII setting restricts more modern villains to appear.

PRC pot calling kettle black

Sometimes I wonder why people who have bad opnion of someone would even post them online. Nothing can please everyone. This time some chinese from china (PRC) posyed their opnion and rated Singaporeans as digusting people. While there is no denying that digusting people are everywhere, not just singaporean. These PRC would label the whole basket of apple as rotton just because someone bit on a rotton fruit. Since that is how you think, why do you still hang around in this country full of disgusting people? I am also sure that since these PRC uses internet to voice out, U am sure they also get to read how people post dislike of PRC. It is just being pot calling the kettle black, but in thise case, insulting the host of the country where they are earning a living makes them more low life than they are. Here, I say it is only to those who lables the whole basket.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/singaporeans-most-disgusting-people-091804650.html

Artifical food made from excrement

The world will be facing a food shortage in the future. People are now finding ways to create more food. However, would you dare to eat it? Japanese scientist have claim to create artifical meat from human excrement...! They say that the meat is of high nutritional value and reduce greenhouse gas emmision. Ultimately, would people accept such food? Perhaps, this is a first step towards artifical food. This could also be a kind of food stuff for space travel. Right now, it seems too early for people to accept it. Finally, there is no wrong when you call someone eat sh*t!

http://news.omy.sg/News/World%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201106181450-253426.html

Solar activity

NASA detected a solar flare erupted from the sun on Tuesday. Estimate it will arrive Earth on Thursday. So if you encounter your mobile signal not smooth or wireless connection going ghostly, it could be due to the solar activity. Hopefully such activity from the sun will not roast your computer or television. It should be only as an annoyance and not some kind of destructive force.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/solar-flare-erupts-creating-spectacular-images-104203210.html

party invitations gone wrong

Facebook have done it again, or at least careless user of facebook. Invitations to personal party which was open to public view caused the owner of the party to flee her own home. This is not the first time I read about such happening. Is facebook really the way to invite people to party? This shows that the old fashion way or who you want to invite, you send a card or a note. I am sure this will not be the last of it.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/facebook-blunder-leads-crowd-teens-birthday-150742959.html

Unknown structure on Mars?

Looks like the Astronomy people will have some excitment, at least on those alien life finders and Mars scientists. David Martines had infact, using Google Mars found an object, or a structure that is big. It could be something for containment or some kind of living quaters. The image is too realistic to be of some optical illusion. So far there isn't any known space projects that could have travel to Mars and left it there. So there should be a reason enough to start sending out Mars missions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110606/us_yblog_thelookout/armchair-astronaut-mars-video-goes-viral

Coins are here to stay

It seems that people are getting innovative at doing payment. We are getting into the stage of cashless payment but the dollar notes and coins are still sticking around. Sometimes people will start doing mischief with these. Some guy tries to pay up something which he isn't happy with does the payment with coins, and he ended up with the cops. There is also story of another guy who is not happy over something and pass over his sums in coins, but he isn't breaking any law, because he was depositing his money with the bank. So coins are there to assist us with the smaller sums but when some "wise" dude tries to be a maths wiz he would just be trying his luck with the law.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20110606/od_yblog_upshot/penny-offense-man-fined-for-paying-fee-in-pennies

Trance is it only entertainment?

There is this news of a hypnotist while trying to "wake up" his tranced participants fell and knocked out. So if the hypnotist fail to wake up or if he injured himself then does that mean the tranced people will be tranced forever? Can't a tranced person be woken out by a shake on the shoulder or any other means like dealing with a sleeping person? While it would be curious on what the feel of being tranced to be. Could it be inside a different world or into the past? Or worst, those who participated were actually part of some acts to entertain the audiences. Just like some magics it is still hard for some people to accept hypnotic as real.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/hypnotists-mishap-leaves-people-trance-171515359.html

IE9 another worst offering....

I had my first use of IE9 on my computer and it was like another flash of new-ness, just like using Windows 7 for the first time. New feel soon turn to lousy feel. First the interface fail. Having scan the internet forums, there are many people complaining of the same thing. Unmovable menubar, favorite bar at the wrong place, user add-on for IE8 not working for IE9. All these affected me too. I remember when I first upgrade from IE7 to IE8 with the same new interface so different with the same complaining but this one just more worst. Other than a different interface there is no much different. I guess I will skip this version since there are some add-ons that I need but no working on IE9.

new watch?

My track shoes finally gave way. The lousiest I had is the Brooks shoes. It broke in less than two months. My dad said I bought it and left it on the shelf for too long. Does left on the shelf for too long matters? I doubt it. Anyway Had gone to Safra to get another pair. This time I get the New Balance. On my way back I saw a hawker hawking some watches at 4.90 each. The brand of one I saw is Tisso brand I guess. I didn't get it although my current watch the belt is not working. Changing a new belth probably cost more. I might get a new watch.

Reboot catches up with DC Comics... again?

DC Comics is doing it again. Rebooting. This time rebooting without any crisis. All the rebooted titles will be starting at number 1 again. Most of the time, when DC does the number 1, fans will still go for it as those number 1 isn't much of a reboot, but much like an alteration from some crisis. Now this time round it seems like fans doesn't quite take the news well. This reboot will be like changing a major part of a well established character's life that have passed by us in one of those long lost issue during our father or even grandfather's year. Usually I wouldn't even care much but any major changes, to established characters like Batman or Superman just isn't something that can be accepted easily. What would be the change? Not known yet. Maybe like, they will add in that Clark Kent was in the same school as Jimmy Olsen. Maybe we doesn't care about that but if it lead Olsen to finally discovered Clark's secret then maybe it does matters. DC wouldn't call a reboot without a major overhaul in its characters. How an overhaul will change the reader's view at their comics will be something different. New readers to these characters may not suffer from these changes. Collectors and hardcore DC readers may. Already I do not like how the All Stars title, such as All Star Batman goes. Maybe in the end it is all in a mini bubble reality or sub universe. It might all be just a bad dream from the Anti-Monitor after losing a fight with Green Lantern..... if we are lucky.

http://insidepulse.com/2011/06/01/wednesday-comments-–-questions-about-the-great-dc-comicsrelaunch/

Bigger stars exists!

Hard to imagine, that there are still bigger and bigger stars to be found. The universe is infinite and that seems to gives the logic of bigger and bigger exists. The star VFTS 682 located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. So the next question is, will there be another much bigger star somewhere deep in the universe? There are stars everywhere to be discover, time for man to travel to the edge of the solar system to be able to observe more. NASA where is the long overdue hyperdrive?
http://media-newswire.com/release_1151166.html